Trust in Electronic Environments

The objective of this paper is to provide a unified, theoretically grounded framework for trust in electronic environments. An overview of the research on trust is presented, examining the nature of the concept, its definition, and the factors and processes that contribute to trust. The result is an integrated model that provides a comprehensive framework for trust in a variety of settings. This general model of trust is then applied to four domains within electronic environments: information, information systems, electronic commerce, and online relationships. The benefits of this unified framework for trust are twofold. First, it provides a common language for information systems researchers studying trust in different domains. Second, it provides solid theoretical grounding for the study of trust in information systems. It thus enables the information systems community to engage in a more formal and systematic study of trust.